We install light libraries in schools, enabling families to rent rechargeable solar-powered lamps and creating a priceless difference by replacing toxic kerosene with safe and sustainable lighting that fuels education, enterprise, and climate resilience.
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We provide digital education resources to support teacher development and significantly improve student literacy and numeracy. We also train teachers and local school administration staff to embed the programme and keep it running.
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We are piloting solar cooking solutions for school feeding programmes, aiming to reduce firewood use, lower carbon emissions, and mitigate environmental degradation.
Learn MoreBoth the Solar United Madagascar (SUM) partnership and our community‑based approach to delivering energy solutions are unique in Madagascar. With no other commercial services available or affordable to rural populations, SUM has introduced lighting, phone charging, educational resources, and cleaner cooking services to off‑grid Malagasy communities, bringing undeniable benefits and improving daily life.
SUM operates in a highly challenging socio‑political and economic environment marked by chronic poverty, underinvestment in infrastructure and public services, and the growing pressures of climate change, which further undermine livelihoods. Food insecurity is widespread, and investment in primary and secondary education remains insufficient.
In this section, we share lessons and insights to inform sector‑wide discussions on the types of finance needed to scale models such as ours, and on how to ensure that services remain sustainable and responsive to community needs.
This report presents the initial findings from a baseline assessment of SUM’s Light Library Programme across 31 schools. It examines participants’ demographic profiles, levels of energy access and usage, and their socio‑economic and educational backgrounds. The assessment also explores differences between adopters and non‑adopters, including potential barriers to uptake. When later compared with the endline analysis, these findings will help evaluate the programme’s impact within participating communities.
Madagascar faces extreme poverty, climate vulnerability, and deep rural exclusion. Energy access in remote areas is below 11%, school enrolment and completion rates are low, and nearly half of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The operational context is exceptionally challenging: poor transport infrastructure, limited institutional capacity, and high distribution costs make it difficult to reach underserved communities. Yet falling solar costs and new funding streams offer a window for impact. Our work supports community-led solutions that improve education, health, and energy access where it’s needed most.
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